


Freshman Year

by chadleymacguff



Series: Something You Misplaced [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Flashbacks, Friends to Lovers, High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-13
Updated: 2012-09-13
Packaged: 2017-11-14 03:24:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/510807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chadleymacguff/pseuds/chadleymacguff
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>That’s when he felt a hand gently grasp his shoulder. It was Chris. Somehow he always seemed to be nearby as if he was following him or something. He and Chris had known each other for most of their lives and attended all the same schools. It was a pretty small town, almost everybody knew everybody. At this point he really wished that he didn’t know Chris because he was shooing the girls away and demeaning his assertion of dominance.</p><p>Not cool Chris, not cool.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Freshman Year

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of the several prompts I was given on my tumblr. I tried to work in as may things that were requested that fit into this segment (or chapter) so hopefully I did it justice. I've never written anything of this volume before so bare with me if it's crap. (i'm quite confident it is crap but here it is anyway)

_I guess I thought that starting high school would be a little more exciting but maybe I was hoping for a little too much. The hallways are crowded with hoards of new and old students. All the people buzzing around it’s hard to believe that there’s actually enough run to house all these students and faculty. At some point they just become like cattle herding together as a group in one direction until our paths finally diverge down another hall._

_Of course there are a group of girls directly in front of my locker._

Peter wasn’t really trying to get into any major confrontation on his first day of school. He was trying his best to fly below the radar this year. Being a freshman can be a real pain, especially if you ruffle feathers with upperclassman as soon as you get out of the gate.

“Uh, hi.”

Peter was trying to be as polite as he could possibly be. Seeing as it was him and he has a particularly acidic way of speaking it might not have come out as nice as he thought it did. The girls looked in his direction as he pointed his index finger at the locker behind them.

“You’re standing on my locker.”

A girl with long wavy black hair looked at the row of lockers behind her briefly and then back at Peter before turning her attention back at her group of friends. They were gabbing on about whatever they had done over the summer. Something about some lifeguard that one of them had met at a private pool or some bullshit. It really didn’t matter to him. Peter just wanted them to move out of his way so that he could stuff the extra contents of his bag into his locker.

Of course he’d gotten to school and extra twenty minutes early so to avoid a situation like this all together, yet he seems to be here. This was beginning to be quite annoying. The giggling of the girls as they continued their story, their refusal to get out of the way, the constant scuffle of their shoes as they switch which leg their weight is applied to.

Peter can feel the rage building in his chest. The fact that these girls can clearly tell that what they’re doing is an inconvenience and that they clearly do not care. It’s enough to push something up, some primal instinct of retaliation. This past summer has been something of a metamorphosis for Peter. He was finally old enough to go out running with the rest of the pack, to start to integrate his wolf into his life. Of course he was a wolf since birth so it was always something he had to struggle with but there was something about puberty that really just elevated it to another plato of problems.

He tried to fight it off but it’s difficult when you don’t have anything to keep your human side in control, to not have anything to keep the wolf at bay. His nails were beginning to shape into claws that dug into his clenched fist, canines slowly creeping to bite into the tip of his tongue. Peter slammed his fist into the row of lockers, leaving an indention behind it. The noise shocked the girls into looking into his direction.

“MOVE.”

Peter’s eyes were fixed on a point in the floor so not to show the glowing rage in his eyes. That’s when he felt a hand gently grasp his shoulder. It was Chris. Somehow he always seemed to be nearby as if he was following him or something. He and Chris had known each other for most of their lives and attended all the same schools. It was a pretty small town, almost everybody knew everybody. At this point he really wished that he didn’t know Chris because he was shooing the girls away and demeaning his assertion of dominance.

 _Not cool Chris, not cool._ It was the first day of school and he didn’t need to be seen as weak by any of the other students. Peter wasn’t weak in any sense of the word. A bit of an eccentric? Sure. But never weak.

“Starting trouble already I see.”

Chris was all smiles as he walked into Peter’s line of sight. Peter was still looking down trying to focus on pulling himself back in control. Surprisingly it was quite simple with Chris there. I guess his annoyance with Chris was more related to his human side than his animalistic nature. He lifted his head to the boy that happened to be just a few inches taller than he was. _I guess puberty hit him faster._ Peter was always the taller of the two of them but I guess over the summer Chris got the jump on him.

“How did you even find me Chris?”

His lips pulled back into a smile that seemed to reflect the sun coming in from the window directly into Peter’s eyes. It was a little much.

“I just saw the back of your head when I turned into the hallway.”

He let out some semblance of a laugh. It sounded more like a hiccup really.

“Plus, my locker is actually right there.”

Chris pointed a finger towards where the girls were just standing.

“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me.”

Somehow Chris’ locker was right next to Peter’s. They’d basically had locker, cubbies, mats, you name it, next to each other all their lives and now they were right back where they started. So much for Peter getting that fresh start that he was looking for.

Chris pulled at the lock and lifted the latch tossing his jacket and book bag inside.

“It’ll be just like old times. Just don’t steal my crayons this time.”

There was that big smile again.

“See you later Pete.”

Chris made sure to ruffle his hair and pat his shoulder before he disappeared down the hallway into the crowd. He hated when Chris would do that. Peter kind of hated Chris right now. Chris had spent all summer out of town with his grandparents when they were supposed to be volunteering together at Camp Wanapeek. They’d talked about it all last year, about how it was going to be fun to be away from their parents and do whatever they wanted all summer. But then last minute he bailed and told Peter that he’d just see him at school. Chris did look like he was a bit remorseful about it, like he didn’t even want to go but his dad was forcing him too.

Peter understood. He really did. Sometimes family things come before friends and vice versa but it didn’t make him any less bitter about it. But at this point there was no use crying over something that didn’t happen. Besides he didn’t even go this summer anyway. He spent the entire time with his brother and his dad and his uncle learning how to keep himself from shifting at school. It was kind of a weird summer for him. He comes from a long line of wolves so he never really thought much about it until he’d hit puberty and everything seemed to be turned up to ten. Impulses, desires, anxiety, the shift, it wasn’t just at the full moon now. It was like all of his emotions were tied together to the same tether. Of course he couldn’t tell Chris about this. Sure he was his best friend and they’d known each other all their lives but this wasn’t something you normally share with a friend. At least not now anyway.

Over the years Peter had to reschedule times for them to hang out or change sleepover dates because of the full moon rising but it wasn’t anything of this magnitude. Now he was like a ticking time bomb. Even with Chris’ cheerful personality, Peter could tell that this wouldn’t go over very well. Maybe he was over thinking it. Maybe Chris wouldn’t run off screaming into the night if he told him that he was a werewolf.

The bell rang jerking him out of his dazed train of thought. Whatever. None of this was important right now. He had other things to think about, like not being late to homeroom on the first day. As he walked into the room at the end of the hall and took a seat next to brunette girl with perfect skin that he couldn’t help but notice, he wondered. What Chris had done with his summer? He hadn’t really said anything to him since he’d been back in town, which is part of the reason Peter is pissed at him in the first place. Chris had been back for a least a week before class started and hadn’t even called him or stopped by his house. It wasn’t until he bumped into him and his mom at the grocery store that he even knew he was back in town. Of course they exchanged the awkward ‘oh hey, when did you get back in town’ lines in the magazine aisle while their parents shopped but other than that, nothing. That was odd for Chris. The kid could be a regular chatty Cathy so that was out of character for him. Plus they were like best friends, they told each other everything. What could he have possibly done that he didn’t want to talk about? Of course, Peter couldn’t exactly tell him that he’d been scaling tree’s and hunting rabbits all summer with his family, so maybe he shouldn’t be so quick to judge.

“Hale? Peter Hale?”

“Present.”

He almost missed his name on the roster. That wouldn’t have been good. His mom was rather adamant about him getting perfect attendance. He never really got why.

The dismissal bell rang and the shuffling of feet could be heard throughout the school. Well maybe not for everyone else but Peter could hear it. He must’ve been so deep in thought that he actually tuned in his super high frequency hearing. Luckily it was after the bell rang and not before. God knows what kind of headache that would’ve cause.

Peter walked at an even pace back to his locker to retrieve his history book. Of course he didn’t have history class until after lunch but he was trying to avoid possibly running into Chris. Well at least until the end of the day.

Most of the day is a blur really. The first couple of classes just fly by. Nothing really interesting happens, just first day stuff like going over the syllabus, grading scale, boring stuff like that. By the time lunch rolls around, he’s already burned out on the day. Peter sits with a few familiar faces from his homeroom that he got a chance to take with throughout the day. Two brunettes named Kara and Stephanie, a blonde girl Bridget and Seth, a guy he’d known since grade school. They spent the entire period talking about how boring their classes were going to be while exchanging contact info and desserts from either what they brought from home or what they’d bought from the cafeteria. Just like that, lunch was over. Of course the most leisure he’s had all day goes by in a flash.

Next period is history, which Peter is really not looking forward to. History has always been his weakest subject so sitting through a more in depth version of world history wasn’t really ideal. As soon as he turns the corner and gets past the door frame, who does he see? Chris Argent.

_You have GOT to be kidding me._

Most people would be happy getting to have a class with their best friend. Not Peter. He’d had classes with Chris before. It never ended well. Chris would either never do his homework and copy all of Peter’s or somehow find a way to get both of them into trouble.

Chris turned his head to see Peter taking the seat next to him.

“Hey buddy. Haven’t seen you all day.”

 _Well that’s really been a blessing in disguise._ “Yeah, I know. It’s been kinda weird.”

Not really weird for Peter, more of a relief. He had gone without seeing Chris all summer, which is probably the longest they’ve been apart, at least the longest that he could remember. The distance wasn’t as taxing as he thought it would be. It was actually a bit refreshing. Sometimes it’s nice to have a break away from even your best friends so that you can recharge. But no matter how refreshing it was, he did still miss his company. Peter had actually been looking forward to the moment that Chris got back in town. That moment he’d open the door and see him on his doorstep and they ride their bikes in the dark and just talk about the adventures they’d had while they were apart. You know, like most friends do. They would share their secrets. Of course Peter would omit some of the more secretive facts about his family but it would be an interesting story none the less.

Maybe Peter wasn’t over the whole Chris not telling him that he was back thing yet. Understandable, he did have a history of holding grudges and Chris knew that. That’s probably why Chris was being extra pleasant. He knew that he needed to smooth things over. Clever. Chris may be a lot of things but stupid isn’t one of them.

Maybe he could let this slide. He can’t really stay mad at Chris anyway. Not with that smile. Wait, Chris was smiling at him. Why was Chris smiling at him?

“Hey Pete, what do you say we skip this period and head home early?”

Tempting. Especially since he didn’t want to be there in the first place but then again it sounded like one of Chris’ horrible plans. He had at least ten of those a day.

“I don’t know.”

Chris pulled his earlobe and stood up.

“Come on. I promise it’ll be fun.”

There was something about the inflection he put on the word fun that changed his mind. Fun being the operative word. FUN as in not here because history is NO FUN.

Usually Chris had to work fast whenever Peter changed his mind because his logic would kick in and he would change it right back. And there it was his award winning smile, that smile that said ‘trust me, everything’s going to be alright’.

“Fine.”

He scooped up his books and they headed for the door, passing a few students coming in. Lucky for them the teacher had stepped out to make copies for the class, so they had plenty of time to make their way through the semi-crowded hallway to their lockers to grab their book bags before they heard the ring of the warning bell. By then everyone had made their way out of the halls and into the classrooms.

The halls were eerie without herds of people to occupy them. It was easy to spot stragglers that were late or even skipping class, which they were.

“Come on.”

Chris tugged on the strap of his book bag pulling him forward. The two boys walked swiftly out of the side doors so not draw any attention to themselves. They went over to the bike rack that, thank god, was out of sight of the main entrance.

“What are the chances of us getting detention for the entire year?”

Chris paused for a moment, thinking while he stuffed his bike lock into his bag.

“Like 1-in-10 maybe? I don’t know. You know I’m not great with percentages.”

Peter simply rolled his eyes as they climbed onto their bikes and peddled in the opposite direction of the school. They rode in silence for the first ten minutes or so. Peter really didn’t know where they were going; all he could tell was that they were headed towards his house or at least the general direction of his house.

“So, you gonna tell me where we’re headed? Or am I supposed to just read your mind on the subject?”

He could see a strained look on Chris’ face, like he was thinking about something. Whatever it was it was something that he clearly wasn’t ready to discuss with the class. And just as quick as the face came, it was gone in a flash. It was replaced with an inquisitive look. Uh oh. That look usually got them into trouble.

“We’re going to go this way.”

He made a sharp right leading them into the forest. Of course the forest wasn’t exactly unknown territory. They’d been there millions of times and over the summer Peter had gotten to know its depths quite well so whatever surprise Chris was going to show him, he knew he was going to have to act surprised. But after about ten more minutes of riding and idle chit chat back and forth about the setting, Peter didn’t have to pretend anymore. This actually happens to be a new side of the forest that he’d never seen before, which was odd. He thought he’d been over every each of the forest.

_I guess there is always something new with this place._

Chris came to an abrupt stop, dropping his bike to ground as he walked off towards the trees. He gestured his hand emphatically, _this way._ Peter dropped his bike and followed after him.

He was only a few steps ahead of him so it’s not like he was going to get lost or anything but he still felt this need to catch up with him, to not be left behind. Going on an adventure into the woods wasn’t out of character for either of them, they did it all the time, but there was something about the way Chris wasn’t talking or really looking at him for that matter, like he had other things on his mind. He’d talked Peter into skipping class the least he could do is provide conversation.

 _I guess I’m going to have to carry all of the conversations._ Peter had to admit that it did annoy him a bit. In fact it was downright asinine. Not to mention is wasn’t really fair. First he basically dumped him to do something else over the summer, didn’t tell him about being back in town, then when they actually bump into each other he acts all fucking weird as shit and then shows up on the first day and pretends like everything’s all hunky dory. What the fuck was his problem?!

Peter could feel his heart starting to beat faster, his canines lurching forward under his gums, a low growl forming in his throat. And then of course he said something.

“I’m sorry.”

Everything snapped back into their right places. Peter was a little shocked. He’s never really heard Chris apologize for anything, well that’s a lie. He apologized once for pushing him off of a swing set when they were nine but that was only because the teacher made him.

“Okay.” He let the words linger in the air for a little while before adding in anything else. “Sorry for what exactly?”

“You’re not going to make this easy are you?”

Chris let out a laugh. It was soft but it echoed, a low echo that only filled the space surrounding the two of them. Peter was pretty clear about his selection of words. If Chris was going to apologize, he didn’t want a half assed apology like he got when he was nine. He didn’t just want a simple “sorry.” If he was going to apologize he wanted to know exactly what it was for. At least then he’d know that he was actually sincere.

He let out a sigh that really just conveyed how stressed Chris really was. It made Peter a bit worried to hear. If you actually knew anything about Chris you would know that he’s really just the most exultant, charming guy that you could ever meet. Nothing really got to him, which might be why they complemented each other so well. Peter was the more reserved and tactful in almost everything he would do. He was always three steps ahead. Chris was his opposite. He never thought about anything until the last minute, case and point, them being the forest right now.

There was a pause before he said anything. Not a long pause but long enough for Peter to have some time alone with his thoughts, so that was long enough.

“I’m sorry about this summer. I know we had plans to hang out this summer and I kind ditched you. I had to go to my grandparents so you know it wasn’t intentional. You know that right?”

They stopped walking a bit ago, they were just standing under a bunch of trees and Chris was looking at him. Peter didn’t really want to look at him so he just nodded.

“I’m not upset about that. Turns out I had to do family stuff this summer too so I guess you leaving was a good thing.” He kicked some of the brush until the found a rock that he rolled back and forth under his shoe. “What I was pissed about was you not telling me that you were back and then acting all weird when I ran into you.”

He scratched the back of his head trying to remember. “Oh! That? Oh I was just really tired. There was a lot of stuff going on. It had nothing to do with you. I was just having an off day.”

“You? An off day?”

“I know right! Me. An off day.”

And there was that smile again, this time accompanied with a brilliant smile. He slid down against the tree and sat on the forest floor. Peter couldn’t help but smile with him, taking a seat about six inches away from him on the other side of the tree.

“So what did you end up doing all summer?”

Since they were on good speaking terms, now was as good a time as any to actually ask how he spent their time apart. It was the friendly thing to do. They didn’t really have secrets. Well, other than the obvious one.

“Just hung around at my gramps old cabin. Turns out my grandpa passed. I had no idea. Apparently no one really did other than my dad and his brother. They didn’t have a service, they just had him cremated and scattered his ashes somewhere in France. So I just ended up helping my grandma around the house all summer. Cleaning, packing up some of his old things, cooking—“

“You? Cooking?”

“I know right. I’m a terrible cook. Grandma even told me so. ‘How did you take the sweet out of the sweet potatoes?!’“

The boys just laughed for a while. Telling jokes back and forth while the sun dimmed and the bugs of the forest began to hum their evening song.

Peter took a look at the watch that he kept in his pocket because he hated wearing it on his wrist. Chafing. He looked at the tiny hands on the watch face, it was almost seven.

“Maybe we should be heading back. I don’t remember how long it took us to get here.”

He stood to his feet wiping the debris off of the seat of his pants. Chris reached out his hand for Peter to help him up. He jerked on Chris’ arm pulling him to his feet fast, too fast. He couldn’t catch his balance fast enough and stumbled into Peter. He looked down at Chris just as he was looking up. His eyes were actually quite stunning, the shade of ice blue that caught the light just right. It gave them this twinkle of actually being frozen. Peter quickly got a hold of himself, pushing Chris a few steps away.

“Sorry.”

He turned away, walking briskly to his bicycle. His face was hot and his heart was beating just a tiny bit faster than usual. Peter was a bit embarrassed. He was hoping, no, praying that Chris didn’t catch him staring a little longer than he should have into his eyes. Chris knew that he was an observant person so maybe he would take it like that, just him being the observer that he is, taking not of his facial features. Nothing more. But at this moment he was hoping that it was nothing more than that. It should have been. Peter didn’t think of him in that way. Besides, he liked girls. Girls with their long or short hair, their silky smooth skin, their pleasant smells that were often blended in with their particular body chemistry making them all unique in their own special way. I loved everything about them.

“Hey, you okay?”

Chris had already recovered, gotten his bag and his bike and ready to ride back into town before he’d even noticed. Lost in thought again. Hopefully he wouldn’t ask what the hell he was thinking about.

“What were you thinking about?”

_Crap._

“Uh, nothing. Just about what homework we might’ve gotten in history today.”

Chris snorted and rolled his eyes.

“Of course you were. You’re always thinking about stuff like that. You’ve gotta let loose sometimes Petey.”

“Yuck. Don’t call me that.”

“What? Petey? I used to call you that all the time when we were kids.”

“Yeah. When we were kids. It’s not really something I’d want to catch on now Christopher.”

“Oh you know I hate it when you use my full name. Makes me feel like I’m in trouble.”

Peter laughed at the thought of Chris ever being in any actual trouble as they climbed onto their bicycles. Chris could basically charm his way out of any trouble that he ever gotten himself into. It was Peter that had to worry. He wasn’t as charming, so he often took most of the blame or had to do something stupid like help the teacher grade assignments during his free period. The ride back was pretty quiet. The two of them talked about the things that Chris found in his grandparents attic and what they were going to do over the weekend. They even talked a little about the girls Peter sat with at lunch. It wasn’t until they got to Peter’s house that Chris even asked anything about Peter’s summer.

“Oh I totally forgot. I was too busy gabbing on about myself. What did you even do this summer?”

To be honest Peter was glad that they kept the conversation about him. It meant he didn’t have to lie to him about what he did. They were best friends. No secrets remember.

“Nothing really. Just hung out with my dad and my uncle. Laura was off at cheerleading camp all summer so it’s was pretty much just us guys and my mom.”

It wasn’t technically a lie, just an omission of the other things that he happened to do. If it was a lie it was a little white lie. Everyone does it. They keep out details that they want to keep to themselves, nothing wrong with that right?

“Oh cool. Man I wish I’d done that. Well I’ll see you later buddy.”

He turned his wheel and was off into the distance before Peter could do anything more than waved goodbye.

_Really dodged a bullet on that one._

He didn’t really like to keep anything from Chris but it really wasn’t his secret to tell. It involved his whole family so he had to think a bit about just telling anybody that just so happened to be in his life. But Chris wasn’t just anybody. They’d known each other forever. If Chris had a secret this big he wouldn’t keep it from him would he? No he wouldn’t because Chris was a good friend and Peter was a shitty one. One that really needed to get inside and do his math homework before it got too late. They might not have been in the same class but he’s sure that Chris would ask to copy it tomorrow.

+

It had been about a month since school had started. Chris was really taking to high school like a fish to water. He and Peter would take daily trips into their special spot in the forest after school and do homework. Correction, Peter would do homework while he would doodle in his notebook. He would just copy his work anyway so it didn’t make much sense to him for both of them to do it.

“You’re going to fail if you don’t start doing your own work.”

Peter was always worried about him when he didn’t need to be.

“I’ll probably get a higher grade on the next test than you.”

He knew he was right. Chris always got the higher grade. Really proves how smart he is but the real reason he does it is to bug Peter. He knows that it drives him insane that Chris can glance over the material once and scores higher than him without even trying. He thought it was funny how it riled him up. It was all in good fun.

The months just seemed to roll by, before he knew it, it was December and midterms were rolling around.

“Hey Pete.”

Chris popped open his locker and pulled out his bag before shutting it.

“You up for skipping history again today?”

They’d skipped most of the semester so what was the harm in skipping another.

“I don’t know about that Chris. I don’t know if we should be skipping classes this close to midterms.”

“I wouldn’t be fun if there wasn’t a little danger involved.”

He always liked to cement any request with a smile. His smile had some kind of magical effect on people. Typically took about five seconds before Peter would cave in.

He let out a sigh followed by the slam of his locker. “Fine.”

Right on cue. The bell rang and the students scurried off into their classrooms. The two of them snuck down the hallway in a flash. They’d done it this so many times it was almost routine. Maybe because they’d done it so many times they’d gotten a little over confident cause as soon as they got to the door, there was their history teacher Dr. Varse.

“I knew this would happen. I told you this would happen.”

“Okay in my defense, we’ve gotten off campus a good ten times before we’d been caught.”

Detention. He knew it was only a matter of time before they got caught. Of course he was hoping it was later than sooner. Now they’d be keeping an eye on the both of them so it would be harder to sneak out.

“I can’t believe I let you talk me into going with you.”

“Of course there was going to be some draw backs to the plan. Minor setback.”

“Shut. Up. Chris.”

He could hear the irritation in his voice. I guess Peter didn’t think that his joke was funny. Dr. Varse was sitting at his desk in the front of the class grading papers while the two of them sat in silence. He told them that they had to either sit in silence or work on work for other classes. Peter was working on something for English class, mostly likely a draft of the paper everyone had due before the break. He always did an earlier draft at least a week before anything was due. Peter just sat there doodling on the desk. It only took about ten minutes for Dr. Varse to tire of their company. He slapped a stack of paper of each of their desks and an answer key.

“Grade these and I’ll be back to check on your progress later.”

“Finally! I thought he’d never leave. Come on let’s go.”

Chris was halfway out of his seat before he realized Peter hadn’t budged.

“Come on Pete, this is our chance to get out of here.”

“We’re not going anywhere.” He added emphasis by poignantly dotting the end of his sentence. “You’ve gotten us into enough trouble as it is.”

Peter was clearly upset. Chris could see it on his face. His eyebrows were drawn together and his jaw was clenched but there was something else too. Something Chris couldn’t put his finger on, an almost inhuman growling coming from his chest.

“Fine. We’ll do things your way.”

Chris threw his hands in the air in defeat. There were certain battles he just knew that he wouldn’t win. I guess this is how Peter felt whenever he tried to talk him into doing something. Weird. He didn’t like things the other way around.

About an hour went by before Dr. Varse came back. They’d finished grading all the papers in about twenty minutes and spent the last forty tossing bits of paper at each other. He dismissed them from his supervision, or lack thereof, giving them fair warning that if he caught them again they would both end up back here in detention. Peter made a remark about it never happening again. Of course he meant about them getting caught, not about them skipping his class.

Peter didn’t really talk to Chris for the next couple of days. He could really tell if it was because he was still mad about the while detention thing or it was because he was studying for midterms. Maybe it was a combination of the two. Peter was really good a holding a grudge. About a week went by before they actually got a chance to hang out. Peter met him in the woods. Chris was surprisingly sitting under a tree doing some of his algebra homework.

Peter took a few steps back and clutched his chest. “So my eyes deceive me? Is Chris Argent actually doing his own homework for once?”

“Oh ha ha ha. Very funny.” He snapped the book closed and tossed it into his bag. “For your information, I was practicing for the midterm that is tomorrow.” He could hear Peter laughing, even though he was trying to muffle it into his hand

“I didn’t know you actually studied, let alone cared what score you got on the test.”

“Well I can’t skate by on my good looks all the time.”

He closed his eyes and gave a mocking smile. Peter just rolled his eyes and sat down under the tree directly across from him.

“So what’s up Pete? I feel like I haven’t seen you in a week.”

Chris rubbed his hands together. While they were indeed living in California, they were far enough North for the temperature to actually drop. They’d even gotten a bit of snow over the last couple of weeks. It was looking like it was going to be a white Christmas.

“That’s because it was been a week Chris. Some of us study on a regular basis and have work to turn in before winter break.”

He had a point there. But Chris wasn’t going to tell him that he was right or tell him that he did well by studying the actual material because he hadn’t really the foggiest of what was going to be on any of his exams. He certainly wasn’t going to tell him that he was right. Chris rarely did that. It would have to extenuating circumstances for him to actually breakdown and tell Peter Hale that he was right about anything. He enjoyed hearing it too much. Maybe it was because he was always right and Chris was wrong and Peter was always too good of a friend to break out the ‘I told you so’. For that Chris was grateful.

“So what are your plans for winter break? Are you and your family going anywhere?”

Usually the Argent’s went out of town for major holidays but this year I guess they decided against it.

“No. We’re staying in town this year. Kate has some play or ballet recital that’s running all next week or some shit. I don’t know. I know she told me that she was going to be a swan or something. I have no idea what that has to do with Christmas but as long as I don’t have to spend another dull holiday with relatives, it’s whatever.”

Peter laughed, maybe a bit too hard. He was laughing at the concept of Chris surrounded by cousins or other distant relatives that weren’t as interesting as he and the rest of his family. Them telling boring stories about their daily lives, trips to the grocery store and not being able to find the particular brand that they’d become accustomed to using. Droll stories about how their kids were getting slightly above average grades in just about every class. While Chris and Kate were honor roll students, Mr. Argent being a lawyer and Mrs. Argent a doctor with her own private practice. But maybe with shining examples like them, everyone else would look dim by comparison.

That’s how most people felt around Chris. Like a dimming star next to his brilliance, someone that you wouldn’t even notice if they hadn’t passed in front of a bright light such as him. Peter never felt that way. He liked to think of their relationship like that of Pluto and its moon Chiron. They moved in synchronous rotation, no one eclipsing the other in achievements or valor but both with their differences and strengths. Perhaps Peter needed to stop reading so much of his textbooks. He was starting to use facts for analogies.

“What about you road scholar? Anything big planned?”

He had to think about it for a minute. He was pretty sure that the next full moon was in a couple of days, but he certainly didn’t want to bring that up. It didn’t have anything to do with what he’d be doing for winter break. Well at least not to Chris. He’d wonder why he’d brought it up, which would lead to a number of other questioned that he wasn’t equipped to answer right now.

Chris could almost hear the wheels turning. “Okay it’s not that hard of a question Petey.”

He shuddered at that name. “No I don’t think we have any big plans. I think my uncle is coming in from out of town with his kids but I don’t think there’s anything major planned.”

Peter could see one of Chris’ eyebrows rise as he drew something into the untouched snow to his right. That was new a good sign. It usually meant a plan or some sort.

Chris watched Peter fidget with his hands for a few minutes. He was nervous, Chris could feel it. The kid could be a nervous wreck sometimes. Chris was pretty sure that he was partially to blame for that. He knew that he was. It was mainly because he was so unpredictable in what he was going to do. Perhaps the most predictable thing about him is that he wasn’t predictable in the slightest sense of the term.

“Well…”

There was a pause between his words and something about Chris pausing between words left Peter a bit uneasy. That real ‘oh god, what is he going to suggest’ feeling that he had in his stomach when he would talk. You’d think he’d be used to it by now.

“Maybe we could do something over the break. Ya know, something really fun. Just the two of us.”

Peter wasn’t quite sure what he meant by that ‘just the two of us’. Even though both of them had amble amounts or friends they always hung out just the two of them. Hell they were doing it now. Maybe he meant us sneaking away from the families to do something fun. Of course that’s what he meant. What else could he have meant?

“Like what?”

He shrugged and let his shoulders fall back into resting position while he drew more doodles into the snow. Chris loved to doodle. Peter always wondered why he’d never pursued anything art related. He was quite talented but like most things in Chris’ life, he didn’t apply himself to it so it fell by the waist side.

“I don’t know. Something fun, I hadn’t thought that far ahead really.”

It was quiet for a while until one of them got up and murmured something getting home for dinner or something to that effect. They went another couple of days without really speaking to one another. It wasn’t until after midterms were over and the weekend rolled around that Peter really got a chance to talk to Chris.

He popped over to Peter’s unannounced like he usually did on a Saturday morning around noon. Peter’s mom had let him in so he just raced up to his room with enthusiasm. His door was open so he just walked right on in, not like if the door was closed it would’ve stopped him.

“Pete! You’ve gotta come with me. I want to show you something.”

Peter could smell the musk of the outdoors mixing with his natural scent. It was overpowering.

“You smell like outside.”

He didn’t even look up from his book that he was reading to acknowledge his presence. Well not fully anyway.

“Put down the book and come with me.”

Chris grabbed the book from his hands and put it onto the desk, brushing his cold jacket against his warm skin. The touch sent a chill down his spine. Chris had beads of sweat on his forehead. He must have come over in a hurry. Peter must have been the first person he wanted to tell about whatever it was that he needed to show him.

“Fine. I will go with you but you have to promise to do something for me in return…”

“Yeah sure whatever.”

Peter was a bit shocked at how quickly he agreed.

“You don’t even know what it is.”

“Knowing you it’s probably not as bad as you’re thinking it is.”

He was right. Peter did have a habit of making things sound much more drastic than they actually were. What can he say, it was a talent. He tugged on a fresh pair of jeans and a t-shirt that Chris was so happy to pick out for him, no doubt in an attempt to rush him out of the house.

The two of them flew down the stairs. Peter shouted something incoherent to his mother and slipped out of the door. They grabbed their bikes and pedaled to their secret place away from everything else deep in the woods. When they finally got there Peter noticed the massive bag on Chris’s back. It made him wonder if he’d had it with him the entire time and he just didn’t notice. It must have, why else would he have dragged him out here in the cold.

“What’s in the bag?”

“That’s what I wanted to show you. My dad gave me my Christmas present early, well, one of them.”

Chris turned and opened the bag. His body blocked whatever he pulled out so that Peter couldn’t see. It made him a bit anxious. You never know what Chris was going to get for Christmas. With his luck it was probably going to be something dangerous like a fucking flame thrower. Chris would show it off, accidentally start a fire and burn down the whole forest.

That’s when Peter sees it.

“Bam!”

“Holy shit! What the hell is that?!”

“It’s a crossbow idiot. You’d think you’d know what a crossbow is what all the books you read.”

Peter rolled his eyes. “No, I know it’s a crossbow. What I meant was, why the hell do you have one?”

Chris looked through the tiny scope with his finger on the trigger, stroking it lightly.

“Apparently it’s a family tradition. I guess it’s some kind of rite of passage or something. I don’t know, my dad was talking about it but I wasn’t really listening. Sometimes I just tune him out.”

Understandable. Peter had met Chris’ father once before and he could be a bit long winded. Not the mention to man seemed to always be reciting quotes from literature. We get it. You’re well versed. Can we move on now?

“Don’t point that thing at me! What happens if you finger accidentally slips and you shoot me in the leg or something?”

Peter knew what would happen. It would hurt like hell and he’d have to pull it out so it could heal properly. That would really freak Chris out.

“Oh don’t be such a worry wart. The safety is on anyway.”

Chris turned toward at tree and flicked the small latch near the trigger. The safety, Peter assumed. He pulled on the trigger launching an arrow through the air directly into the center of the tree. The arrow made a weird sound somewhere between a thud and a crunch upon impact.

“That’s a really good shot.”

It was. Peter had never seen Chris handle anything before, not even a regular bow and arrow but he seemed to a natural with a crossbow. The thought of Chris walking around with one of those made Peter a little uneasy. Nothing against Chris or anything, there was just something about them that was unsetting.

Chris grinned a little too satisfied with himself as he placed the bow on his shoulder by its strap. His father had always told him that he was a natural with most things and it was a waste to let such raw talent rot without a proper outlet.

“It’s an okay shot.”

For once Chris was being humble about something. That was a turn of events. Peter was a little thrown by his sudden word choice.

“I was aiming for the one behind it though.”

And there it was. The backdoor compliment. Peter was no stranger to those. Chris was somewhat of a master at patting himself on the back subtly in conversations. Even though it was one of the most annoying things about him, Peter couldn’t help but be impressed with the new ways he’d find to compliment himself. Kudos to you sir.

Peter cocked his head and rolled his eyes in response, shoving his hands into his pockets for warmth. Chris turned back to his bag putting the bow back inside. Peter had to say he was a bit relieved to see him put it away but when he didn’t stand up immediately, that comfort fluttered away like one of birds flying south for winter. He rummaged around for a good minute looking for something in the bottom of his bag that he couldn’t quite place.

“What are you looking for?”

Peter’s voice a bit shaky that time. Or course he probably could have sniffed out whatever he was looking for in a heartbeat but again Chris knows nothing about his, let’s say condition, so that would come off as strange erratic behavior.

Chris popped back up with a small box in his hand. It was wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper and had a tiny bow placed on top.

“This. Little bastard was hiding from me.”

“Uh what’s that?”

Chris smiled extended his arm towards Peter. “It’s for you. It’s your Christmas present. I got a little too excited and wanted to give it to you early.”

Peter took the box for him. His hands were a bit shaky as he turned the box over several times.

“It’s not a bomb Pete, just open it.”

He was laughing through his words. Chris couldn’t help it. Peter looked like a cat that just discovered something. Curious and cautious all at the same time, it was kind of cute.

The package was perfectly wrapped. Peter couldn’t believe that Chris had even wrapped it, probably because he didn’t. His mother or sister probably did it. They were really into the holidays, decorating, cooking, carols the whole shebang.

He tugged at the paper unwrapping the present until he got down to the white box underneath. It was just a simple white box with a top, nothing written on it or anything. Peter opened the box to find a watch inside.

“You got me a watch?”

“Yeah.” He said with a shrug. “I see that you never actually wear the one you have so I bought you a new one. Hopefully one that won’t chafe your wrist.”

Chis gestured for him to try it on and he did. Peter took the watch out of the box and snapped it onto his wrist. It was surprisingly a lot more comfortable than his other one that he kept in his pocket. The numbers were in roman numerals, Chris clearly picked it out case he knew how much he enjoyed using them in lieu of regular numbers. It was one of his quirks.

“I-I love it Chris. Thank you.”

Peter gave him a tight hug that may have lasted a few more moments than it should have but Chris didn’t seem to mind either way.

“Oh I got you something too but I didn’t get a chance to wrap it yet.”

In all honesty Peter didn’t really get him anything but he felt really bad not have a present for him when Chris had gone out of the way to get him one.

“Oh you didn’t have to get me anything. That’s not what this was about.”

“No no. I want you to have it. I made it specifically for you.”

That part wasn’t really a lie. He did make him something but it wasn’t extravagant or as lush as a watch. It was intended to be his birthday present but I guess now was as good a time as any. Peter dug into his jacket pocket and pulled out a necklace with a tiny wooden wolf attached to it. He’d been carving out over the past couple of weeks with his claws. He actually had to start over a few times because he kept messing up. Peter underestimated how hard it was to capture a wolf’s likeness but this one was his final product. This one Chris could have.

He took the necklace from his open palm.

“Wow, did you actually make this?”

Peter could feel his face flush with blood. It was a little embarrassing to admit that he was into this kind of stuff. He’d never told anyone about it, not even his brother.

“Y-Yeah. It’s okay if you don’t like it. I can always get you something else.”

He turned his head looking away from him, scratching at the back of his head. He was trying to play it cool. That if he didn’t like it, it wouldn’t hurt his feelings not one bit, when in reality if he didn’t he would be crushed.

Chris draped the leather cord over his head.

“Don’t be stupid. I love it. Thank you Pete.”

He pulled him in for a hug. It was lingering. Peter could feel Chris breathing against his chest, his breathing in his ear steady. It made Peter’s heart beat just a bit faster.

Peter let go first with an awkward laugh, as if to sort of diffuse the moment in some way. They walked around for most of the afternoon until Chris had to head back home for some family thing about decorating cookies. He didn’t really want to go but family obligations and all.

“See you later Pete?”

“You know it.”

Peter was itching for a run to calm himself down a bit. He wasn’t completely sure about what was going on with him lately. Maybe it was the teenage hormones. Chris called back to him, jerking him out of his thoughts.

“Hey Pete! Merry Christmas!”

+

Christmas came and went in a haze of family, socks, and eggnog. New Year’s wasn’t all that eventful either. The two of them may have seen other once after they’d exchanged gifts in the woods. Sometimes it’s hard for one of them to pull themselves away from their families to hang out when the other is actually free. It wasn’t anything pressing. They’d see each other at school. And they did. They still skipped classes and ended up back in detention a few more times before the end of the year.

The months rolled by and nothing really changed. For some people when they get into high school they grow apart from their childhood friends but not Chris and Peter. It almost seemed to bring them together. They laughed more than they used to, they shared more than they used to. It was kinda weird how school brought the two of them closer than they ever were before. Chris even got out of going to his grandmother’s for spring break to stay in Beacon Hills with the Hales. Peter and his family were happy to have him over. He was polite and willing to help out around the house. The two of them made a game of who could do the most chores before the week was over. Mrs. Hale was actually a little sad to see him go when the break was over. She could never get Peter that enthusiastic about cleaning without him.

Before they knew it, finals were over and summer vacation was just a few days away. Peter was a bit nervous seeing that Chris left last summer and he was alone with his family training to keep his wolf under control. Boy did he have a hell of a time trying to explain to Chris why he couldn’t hang out certain nights of the month. Chris even made a comment about him ‘being a slave to the full moon’ of course it was a joking comment but Peter couldn’t help that think that he was slowly putting the pieces together. Lucky for him he finally came up with some excuse about monthly family get togethers or some bullshit. Didn’t matter how unbelievable it was, Chris bought it and didn’t ask anything more about it.

It seems like they’ve been able to avoid to topic of what they were going to do all summer until just about the last minute. They were cleaning out there lockers and talking about all the fun they’d had over the year. Chucking random memento’s into the trash. Closing his locker Chris was the first to say anything.

“So what are planning on doing for the summer?”

He was clearly fishing.

“Probably what I was supposed to do last summer. I kinda want to get out of town for a little while. Ya know?”

Chris didn’t really say anything. He just leaned against his locker, watching Peter fold an extra jacket into a bag. He closed the metal door softly.

“Well, what are you planning on doing? And stop leering at me. It’s creepy.”

His eyes were focused on something on the floor. He was avoiding eye contact. Peter knew that Chris was trying not to look at him for a reason. Maybe it was because he had to go out of town again this summer.

Peter put his hand on Chris’ shoulder shaking him gently.

“It’s okay if you’re going out to your grandparents again this summer. We’ll just see each other when you get back.”

He added a smile as Chris looked up from under his eyebrows. Those sapphire eyes twinkling even in the fluorescent light of the school.

“Just make sure you actually let me know when you’re back in town this time.”

The laughed and Chris nudged Peter’s shoulder.

Days passed by and the two of them used the free days to run around the town. They caught movies at the local theatre. Somehow they found the time to bike through the woods like they always did. They even help Peter’s dad clean out the gutters cause for some reason Chris liked being over at his house more than he did his own these days but Peter didn’t pry. It was Chris’ business and he’d tell Peter when he was ready.

Next thing Peter knew it was time for him to go off to Camp. The idea of being a counselor was exciting. He got to plan out all the fun things that they would do and make sure there was never a dull moment. It was going to be a blast. Of course he wished that Chris could be there but there was no use crying over it now.

Peter took a seat towards the back of the bus and sat in silence as all of the other campers filled in. He thought about the night before. He and Chris were sitting on the steps of his porch talking about what they might’ve done if Chris was coming along. Peter talked about long hikes and swimming lessons, while Chris made him promise to make him a friendship bracelet so that he could feel like he’d been there even if he hadn’t. He remembered the look of sadness in his eyes, he could smell the feeling of sadness radiating off of his body. It was almost tangible. Peter knew what Chris was feeling but he couldn’t really come out and say it, so he did the only logical thing he could think of. He hugged him. It was a tight embrace that conveyed his emotions to him. Peter was telling him not to worry about anything. That he would still be here when he got back. Everything just felt like the end of the world right then, as if not seeing each other for a month or two meant you were never going to see the other ever again.

One of the head counselors stepped up at the front of the bus and made some announcement about them leaving now and remembering to stay together when they got off so that they could do a head count at the camp. Peter just looked out the window thinking about what he was going to do all summer without Chris. It meant that he was going to have to make new friends with a least one of the other counselors. But of course none of them would be as good as Chris. None of them would have his charisma or flare for adventure or his perfectly blue eyes. Before he knew it they were at camp. He must’ve nodded off on the trip, which would account for his drool stain on his sleeve.

He jumped off the second step. Being the last to get off, he was the last one counted before they were free to grab their bags and head on over to see which bunks they were assigned to. He let out a yawn and tried his best to stretch out his limbs that had been compacted by the drive. Peter didn’t even notice that another bus had even arrived. There were quite a bit of them so they split them up into three buses. He stood quietly watching the people climb off, most of them complaining about a bad smell, the others about how long the trip was and that’s when he saw him. Peter’s jaw nearly dropped to his feet. Maybe he was seeing things. He was still a little tired. Perhaps he was daydreaming. Then he turned his head and spotted him, his icy blue eyes dazzling in the summer light. He smiled at Peter and tossed up his hand in a wave. His teeth sparking perfectly in the daylight, Peter never understood how he could do that without even trying. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He was so shocked he actually wiped his face a few times to make sure there was no special fairy dust or filter over his eyes that made him see things that weren’t really there. That’s when he called out to him.

“Hey Pete!”

Yep. That was him alright. Voice and all. But what was he doing there? He didn’t say anything to him about coming to camp this summer and he had plenty of opportunities too. Peter could help but be a bit upset. No not a bit. He was pissed.

_Oh I am going to kill Chris._


End file.
